The spring thaw is upon us and it's about time! In the last two weeks we have been graced with over two and a half feet of snow. Following one of these delightful snowstorms I took a nice walk on the farm. I am getting antsy for Spring Turkey season (it's not until May) and I wanted to do some scouting to see what they have been up to. I did not see any turkeys but I did hear them making a racket not too far away and found plenty of tracks in the top of the field where they are scratching around in the Sumac berries. Of course I found lots of other things to photograph, and had a wonderful time to boot.
These lovely little flower buds are preparing for spring
Some very cool lung-like fungi
Snow Fleas
These little bugs are not actually fleas, although they do look quite similar. I always thought that they were indeed a sort of flea which survived by jumping on animals who happened to pass their way. Actually, they live on decomposing matter, bacteria, fungi and even round worms. They have a unique protein in their bodies which act as a sort of "antifreeze" and allows them to survive sub zero temperatures. Pretty cool! If you click on the picture you can get a better idea of what they look like.
If you ever come across this sight in the woods (under a hemlock tree), look closer...
Look at the Hemlock...
(claw marks in the bark) And, look up!
With any luck you will find Anentaks - a Porcupine - looking down at you with a stoic stare.
If you are hungry, I have heard that Porcupine makes a good meal. I am all about eating wild game but I really love Porcupines and I don't think I would ever kill one for food.
These tracks, I believe, belong to a Fisher. They are very similar to Otter tracks, however, based on the scat that I found on the trail (following picture), the lack of Otter slides into the swamp and the fact that I have seen Fishers in the area before, I believe that I have correctly identified the culprit.
Fisher Scat (poo if you are unfamiliar with the term "scat") You are welcome for the nice photo.
A tree trunk covered in colorful fungi and lichens
A portrait of the swamp in March
Aspen Catkins
I have four gallons of Sumac wine ageing in my basement. It is delightfully lemony with an aftertaste of Thimbleberries and a hint of apples. Even in late winter these Staghorn Sumac berries are a good source of nutrition for the birds and small mammals who live on the farm. The snow beneath these bushes is packed down and covered in hundreds of bird, squirrel and mouse tracks. Nearby, the fox tracks are a reminder that the foxes must eat too. I imagine that mice fattened on sumac berries must be a fine feast for them.
A few berries freshly fallen. This Sumac variety is named "Staghorn" because of the velvet which covers the berries and stems of the plant which is reminiscent of the velvet which grows on the antlers of deer.
Oh, yeah! A turkey track only a few feet from the Sumac bushes.
I posted previously a picture of the Paper Wasp nest but I had failed to get a shot of the beautiful paper encasing the nest. The wasps make this stuff by chewing woody fibers which mix with their saliva and literally make paper.
This picture may be boring to you, but I was extremely excited to find and identify this Spicebush. I wanted to be able to identify them in the winter, so I walked to an area where I knew them to grow and tasted a few different bushes until I came upon this one. It is actually quite a distinct shape and has lovely little buds which have been there since the fall and make it an easy plant to identify. I chewed on a twig for a while as I continued to walk - it tastes a bit like allspice and makes a delicious tea.
Near the end of my walk, after spotting Fisher, Chipmunk, Mouse, Vole, Bird, Porcupine, Rabbit, Fox, Coyote, Turkey and Raccoon tracks I came upon these Bruce tracks and followed them out to the farm house thus ending my delightful afternoon in the woods.
Old woodsmen would always warn tenderfeet to never kill a porcupine because they were the one animal that can save you if you are lost and starving in the woods. They are simple to find, walk up to and kill with a blow to their head/nose with a stick. They don't do much harm as long as you hide your ax handles and take in your out house seat so they don't chew them up. They love the salt left on them from sweat.
ReplyDeleteAn old timer who was from the Adirondack Mountains once told me that "hedgehog" is a good meal. Thanks for the comment, it's a great story!
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